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Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Basic Popovers

MAKES 6 POPOVERS

By Carol Fenster

Popovers may not come to mind when thinking of bread, but they are much like a dinner roll. They can be filled to make a sandwich, and they satisfy a craving for something crispy. You can purchase popover pans in kitchen stores and discount stores for around $20. Muffin pans or custard cups are also an option, but their wide shape and short height won’t allow the popovers to rise as high. To guarantee success, keep all your ingredients at room temperature and heat the popover pan before filling it with batter.

1. Place a rack in the lower-middle position of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly oil each cup of a standard 6-cup popover pan with shortening.

2. In a blender, thoroughly blend all the ingredients. The batter will be almost as thin as crepe batter but not as thick as pancake batter.

3. Place the pan in the hot oven 5 minutes to heat it. Wearing oven mitts, carefully remove the hot pan from the oven, divide the batter among the cups and return the pan to the oven.

4. Bake 20 minutes at 450 degrees and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Continue baking another 10 to 15 minutes or until the sides of the popovers become rigid. (Do not open the oven door during this time.)

5. Quickly—and carefully—remove the pan from the oven. Pierce each popover along the rigid side with a toothpick to release the steam; return the pan to the oven to bake another 5 minutes.

6. Remove from oven and cool the pan on a wire rack 5 minutes. Remove the popovers from the pan and serve immediately.